


Alone

by castledfranks



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-21
Updated: 2013-01-21
Packaged: 2017-11-26 07:17:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/647988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/castledfranks/pseuds/castledfranks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek's pack deserts him right before the alphas close in on him. *Slightly AU. (For the sake of this story, Derek turned Scott, not Peter)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Alone

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first piece of work I'm posting here yay! Would love feedback!

Derek sat motionless on a wooden crate outside the abandoned train car that he and his pack had once called home. It was hard to believe that just a week ago, they were all here, ready to fight. So much had changed in the course of a few days, and once again, he was left. Alone.

He knew he shouldn’t be surprised; everyone always left. Whether they died or betrayed him, or just ran scared, Derek always faced his challenges alone and without fear. But this time, it was different.

An alpha pack loomed at the woods’ edge. He couldn’t go back to his house - or what was left of it. That fire had destroyed his home, but never his spirit. He’d always had Laura by his side until he didn’t. He had Peter to thank for that. His own flesh and blood murdered his beloved sister for what? Power? It was useless now. Peter was merely a beta, and just like the rest, he’d run off.

Scott had betrayed him, aligned with Gerard to take Derek down. He’d failed physically, but Derek knew he was weak. His pack ran off, deserted him at the time he needed them the most. And once again, he was battling alone. But this time, he wasn’t strong enough. Not mentally.

He knew he was going to lose the war. The alphas would destroy him and this town. His father always told him: an alpha pack wanted one thing: domination. He knew they wouldn’t leave any survivors in their wake. Beacon Hills would be their sandbox, and they’d destroy the current castles to build new ones at their leisure.

The thought was terrifying; even if he hated this place, this constant reminder of his failures and anguish, he was afraid to let it go. There were still people here that he was afraid to let go. Not many, but enough.

Sure, Isaac chose Scott over Derek. Nevermind that Derek had rescued Isaac from his abusive father and gave him gift of power, strength and independence. Erica and Boyd had high-tailed it out of Beacon Hills even before the alpha pack arrived. They couldn’t even handle Gerard and the kanima; it was all too much for them. Derek wasted months training them, nurturing them, teaching them everything his father taught him. And for what? The only thing he’d ever asked for was loyalty, and they couldn’t even give him that.

Regardless of how he felt about Scott and Isaac, he didn’t want to see them lose everything. He still cared about what happened to them, cared about their safety. And Stiles. Well, for reasons unbeknown to him, he worried about Stiles the most.

Derek inhaled deeply and that familiar scent of store-brand body wash tickled his nostrils. Before a breath was even exhaled, he shut his eyes and sighed. “What are you doing here, Stiles?”

Stiles let out a single, inaudible laugh. “Impressive. Glad to see your skills didn’t run away with your betas.”

Derek licked his bottom lip and laced his fingers together, resting his elbows on his knees and looking at the ground. “That’s not funny.”

Stiles knew it was a sore subject, but inappropriate humor was the only way he knew how to handle these kinds of situations. When his mother died, all he did was tell knock-knock jokes until his dad threatened to lock him in his room. He didn’t deal with crisis well. But for some strange reason, he felt like Derek needed a friend, and he wanted to be there for him. It was the least he could do after all the times Derek saved his life by putting himself in danger instead - a notion Stiles never understood, considering he and Derek seemed to have this mutual loathing thing going on.

“Have you been sulking in here long?”

“Yup,” the alpha said, his head sagging.

Stiles stood over him and fought the urge to touch his broad shoulder in comfort. “Look, I’m sorry they’re gone, okay?”

Derek smiled for a quick moment. “Thanks,” he said, glancing sideways, yet refusing to make eye contact with Stiles.

“I mean it,” Stiles pushed. “I’m sorry.”

Derek pursed his lips. “I know you are,” he muttered solemnly. “And it means a lot.”

Stiles felt the air leaving his lungs and he scrambled to find some words of comfort to offer Derek. He could feel in his bones just how badly he was taking this whole abandonment thing. Derek was lost, he was alone; Stiles kind of knew what that felt like. After his mother died and his father let go, Stiles did the same thing. Except he took a while to grab ahold of his life again and almost succumbed to the downward spiral he was partaking in. He’d alienated himself from all his friends and sequestered himself in his room… alone. But he was alone by choice, and Derek was alone because nobody ever cared enough to stick around. That had to be the single worst feeling in the world.

“Derek…” the boy stumbled for the right words. “Derek, I think it’s shit that Scott trusted Gerard over you. I mean, regardless of your shadiness and whatever, Gerard? Way shadier.”

“Can’t really blame him,” Derek said. “I guess I never gave him a reason to trust me.”

“Well, you never stabbed him in the gut and tried to kill his mother so I think you have a good leg up on Gerard. I mean you turned him, gave him his ‘gift.’ You know, before the whole werewolf thing, he was a huge loser that couldn’t play lacrosse and had ZERO game. It’s gonna sound kind of stupid but you changed his life in a good way. If Scott wasn’t so wrapped up in this Allison thing, he’d have seen that a little clearer.”

It felt nice to hear, because Stiles was right: Derek did change Scott’s life whether or not the boy wanted to admit it. He didn’t have to like Derek, but he should acknowledge - at least to himself - that he owed Derek a lot. But Derek never held that over Scott; he never wanted anything from him accept his trust, but trust breeds trust and Derek never trusted anyone.

“That’s not entirely Scott’s fault, you know. When you become a werewolf, your senses aren’t the only things that become heightened. Your emotions skyrocket and you feel things more deeply. Sometimes that can cloud your judgment.” Derek pushed himself off the crate. “That’s not even what bothers me,” he said, running his hand over the back of his neck. His muscles twitched and Stiles watched them ripple beneath his tank. “I just… I thought I’d finally gotten through to him, to the pack. I thought that I’d finally earned their trust and loyalty. But in the end…”

“They left like everyone else,” Stiles finished his sentence, and for the first time that night, locked eyes with the alpha. He quickly glanced at his feet, the intensity of Derek’s eyes frightening him.

“Like everyone else,” Derek muttered quietly to himself. He walked towards the train car and rested his palms against the cool metal. He shut his eyes as a wave of emotion crashed over him. He growled and balled his fist, punching the car, denting the metal as the hurt subsided and he came down from the crest. A single tear formed in the corner of his right eye and he quickly blinked it away.

Unballing his fist, he studied the blood that was already drying on his knuckles before running his hand over his face. The heat he felt behind him reminded him he wasn’t alone. He wanted to offer an apology, but it was pointless.

“I’m still here” Stiles said, stepping closer to Derek. “I haven’t left.” 

Derek opened his eyes and turned around, studying the boy. He was trembling, and his heartbeat was pounding so loud, it was almost deafening. Derek could smell the sweat pooling in Stiles’ closed palms. “Why are you still here?” he questioned.

Again, the intensity of Derek’s stare had Stiles feeling like he’d pee himself. “Because,” he stuttered. “I’m not afraid.”

“Of the alphas?”

“Or you.”

The corners of Derek’s lips curved upwards in the slightest. It was almost unnoticeable, and disappeared as quickly as it came.

“And,” Stiles continued, his nervous babbling taking over. “I figured you could use a friend, and some help.”

“No offense Stiles, but you’re not a wolf.”

“So?” He knew he should be offended, but he wasn’t.

Derek smiled. “So thank you, but no.”

Stiles raised an eyebrow. “Shouldn’t you be thanking me? I mean, the way I see it, you don’t have many options as it is. Can’t really afford to be picky.” 

“No Stiles,” Derek said. “The answer is no.”

Stiles rolled his eyes. “This is hardly the time for you to get all sour wolf on me.”

“I said no,” Derek said firmly, a hint of anger breaking through.

“Dude, what is your glitch?”

Derek stalked towards him at an agonizingly slow pace; Stiles thought for sure he was about to get his ass handed to him, but Derek stopped so there was but a foot between them. “I’m not gonna send you into an alpha fight. You’d get ripped apart, and I’m not willing to let you die for me or this town.”

“Well maybe I am willing. This place is my home, and if I can help save it…”

“You don’t get it!” Derek shouted before putting his hands behind his head and tugging at the short strands of hair right above his neck. “I just… I cannot lose anyone else… that I care about.”

Stiles widened his eyes. “You care about me?”

“Yes. I care about you. So just please… please just stay as far away from this mess as possible, okay? Promise me that.”

Stiles shook his head and scratched the base of his neck. “No, I won’t promise you. I mean I promise I’ll stay out of the fighting part, but I’m gonna help you out. I’m not gonna let you handle this alone Derek. I don’t know… I’ll find a way to get you a new pack or something, and we’re gonna win this thing.”

Derek smiled as Stiles turned his back to him, removing his laptop from his backpack and muttering about not even asking for a thank you when the day they defeat the alphas came. He scratched his neck and joined Stiles, and the two prepared to take on a team of alphas, just the two of them.


End file.
